1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle that includes a body frame that leans and two front wheels.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a vehicle that includes a body frame that leans to the right when the vehicle turns right and leans to the left when the vehicle turns left and two front wheels (for example, refer to U.S. Design Pat. No. 547,242 and Catalogo partidi ricambio, MP3 300ie LT Mod. ZAPM64102, Piaggio).
The vehicles disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. 547,242 and Catalogo partidi ricambio, MP3 300ie LT Mod. ZAPM64102, Piaggio that include the body frame that leans and the two front wheels include a link mechanism including an upper cross portion and a lower cross portion and a headlamp. An outline of a front portion of the vehicles includes, at least, a body cover that covers at least a portion of the link mechanism and the headlamp.
In the vehicles disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. 547,242 and Catalogo partidi ricambio, MP3 300ie LT Mod. ZAPM64102, Piaggio that include the body frame that leans and the two front wheels, a front end of the lower cross portion of the link mechanism is disposed ahead of the upper cross portion thereof. Because of this, a space is provided in front of the upper cross portion where no member of the link mechanism passes even in the event that the link mechanism is activated to operate.
In the vehicles disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. 547,242 and Catalogo partidi ricambio, MP3 300ie LT Mod. ZAPM64102, Piaggio that include the body frame that leans and the two front wheels, at least a portion of the headlamp is provided inwards of the body cover. The headlamp includes a light source and an outer cover that is provided in a position spaced apart from and to the front of the light source and that is long in the front-and-rear direction. The headlamp that is long in the front-and-rear direction is disposed by using the space defined in front of the upper cross portion. Namely, in U.S. Design Pat. No. 547,242 and Catalogo partidi ricambio, MP3 300ie LT Mod. ZAPM64102, Piaggio, a reduction in the voluminous appearance of the front portion of the vehicle is attempted by making the front portion of the vehicle compact based on the idea that the headlamp is disposed by using the space in front of the upper cross portion which is the dead space.
On the other hand, in general, in case a front edge of the front portion of the vehicle is shaped so that a front end and an upper end thereof are connected smoothly, it is easy to reduce the air resistance. In the vehicles disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. 547,242 and Catalogo partidi ricambio, MP3 300ie LT Mod. ZAPM64102, Piaggio that includes the body frame that leans and the two front wheels, a front end of the front portion of the vehicle projects to a location ahead of the front wheels in the side view of the vehicle. This configuration enables the front edge of the front portion of the vehicle to be shaped so that the front end is connected smoothly to the upper end thereof that is disposed above the upper cross portion. In U.S. Design Pat. No. 547,242 and Catalogo partidi ricambio, MP3 300ie LT Mod. ZAPM64102, Piaggio, a reduction in the air resistance is achieved by using the configuration described above.
Incidentally, in the vehicles disclosed in U. S. Design Pat. No. 547,242 and Catalogo partidi ricambio, MP3 300ie LT Mod. ZAPM64102, Piaggio that include the body frame that leans and the two front wheels, as has been described above, the front end of the lower cross portion is disposed ahead of the upper cross portion, and the headlamp that is long in the front-and-rear direction is disposed directly ahead of the upper cross portion. Because of this, a front end of the headlamp and the front end of the lower cross portion are disposed near each other in relation to the front-and-rear direction. Because of this, in a side view of the vehicle, a portion that connects a portion of the front edge of the front portion of the vehicle and that is disposed in an area that is occupied by the headlamp in relation to an up-and-down direction (hereinafter, referred to as a headlamp area front edge portion) with a portion of the front edge of the front portion of the vehicle that is disposed in front of the lower cross portion easily takes a shape that extends perpendicularly, thus increasing the air resistance.
To describe this in greater detail, in the vehicles disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. 547,242 and Catalogo partidi ricambio, MP3 300ie LT Mod. ZAPM64102, Piaggio that includes the body frame that leans and the two front wheels, the headlamp that is long in the front-and-rear direction is disposed in front of the upper cross portion that is located near the upper end of the front portion of the vehicle. Because of this, the front edge of the front portion of the vehicle tends to have a bent shape in which an inclination angle relative to a horizontal plane of the portion from the upper end to the headlamp area front edge portion is small, while an inclination angle to a horizontal plane of the portion from the headlamp area front edge portion to the front end is large. Because of this, the air resistance tends to be increased at the portion of the front edge of the front portion of the vehicle that extends from the headlamp area front edge portion to the front end.
In the vehicles disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. 547,242 and Catalogo partidi ricambio, MP3 300ie LT Mod. ZAPM64102, Piaggio that include the body frame that leans and the two front wheels, a lower portion of the headlamp area front edge portion is extended to the front of the front wheels, and the front edge of the front portion of the vehicle is positioned directly ahead of the front wheels so that the front edge of the front portion of the vehicle has a rectilinear shape, thus reducing the air resistance. However, as a result of the front end of the front portion of the vehicle being extended to the front of the front wheels, the front portion of the vehicle tends to have a voluminous appearance.
In this manner, as in U.S. Design Pat. No. 547,242 and Catalogo partidi ricambio, MP3 300ie LT Mod. ZAPM64102, Piaggio, combining (a) the idea that the voluminous appearance is reduced by disposing the headlamp in the dead space in front of the upper cross portion and (b) the idea that the front edge of the front portion of the vehicle is shaped so that the front end is connected smoothly to the upper end to reduce the air resistance results in the fact that although the air resistance is reduced, the voluminous appearance is increased.